1680 replies and 29 files omitted.
>>162618She nods
"Okay"
And she continues grabbing her own things, which evidently includes some items in the room.
>>162619Silver grabs his own bag and things, and goes to the bathroom to gather his family's toothbrushes and toiletries.
>>162597That is exceptionally lucky and it easily could have ended in disaster right there. Amber hurries along between the train cars, keeping low as she heads to the luggage car.
>>162621Amber moves along besides the cars (presumably along the track side), and eventually gets to the luggage car.
>>162622Is there any easy way to get in? And can she tell if it's devoid of creatures before she gets in?
>>162623The points of entry on the luggage car are:
A large sliding door on the rear portion of the car.
A large sliding door on the forward portion of the car.
A standard passenger door near the front of the car.
All of the above mirrored on the other side of the car.
The vestibules at the beginning and end of the car. The vestibules are not enclosed on the luggage car, unlike the passenger coaches.
A hatch on the top of the car.
The car has no windows, and Amber cannot see into it to determine who is and is not there.
>>162620As Silver packs his bags, he hears a sound from outside of the house, loud but somewhat distant. A loud wailing or howling sound, like an electronic banshee. Silver has heard it before, and knows what it is. It is the sound of blaring air raid sirens with its "
Arroooooooooooooo" that is sustained for a solid 30 seconds before repeating again.
>>162625Silver's fur stands on end. That familiar sound is not good, not good at all. How did the Changelings get planes over here already? He quickly grabs what he can from the bathroom before rushing back downstairs to his family.
>>162626The foals are evidently still taking their time, and Pear is now trying to move them along.
>>162627Alright, time to be a father. Silver sets his bags down and goes to help his foals pack.
>>162628Birch wants a doll, and Powder Flash wants a coloring book. Pear is just trying to rush them along.
>>162629Alright, Silver helps Birch and Powder find what they want, and in doing so should be able to help Pear get everypony out quickly.
>>162630They eventually get a change of clothes, some medicine, and some items the ponies consider important to them.
>>162631Through the sound of air raid sirens, Silver kneels down to eye level with his foals once they have their things gathered. He speaks to them in a calm tone despite the worry in his heart.
"Okay foals, I want all of you to put your bags in car trunk and then get yourselves strapped in."
>>162632The foals look up at Silver, definitely worried. Daffodil doesn't seem to quite know what is going on, but Birch knows something is wrong and seems about to cry, while Powder Flash is becoming scared.
>>162633Silver steps forward and uses his great size to hug the three of them.
"Hey, hey, it will be okay, there is no need to cry. Your mother and I are here, we will keep you safe."
>>162634squeekyCareful not to crush them. The three ponies are hugged
Birch
"Okay"
Birch and Powder nod, and eventually so does Daffodil.
>>162635"Alright, come with me foals."
He smiles at them, grabs his bags, and leads the three and their bags outside to the car. Presumabley Birch, Powder, and Daffodil will need help with the trunk and getting buckled up in the car.
>>162624A sliding door would be too noticeable, and the hatch is too visible. What are the vestibules like?
>>162637A door at the end of the car. There is a small gap in between the cars of maybe a foot and a half or so. The car is raised a couple feet above the rails, and the door handles rotate
>>162638As long as Amber doesn't see any griffon directly opposite the gap, it should be safe to go in through the vestibule.
>>162636Going outside, Silver can see that the sun is mostly up, and the sky has turned largely a light blue, with tints of orange still lingering on the horizon. There are only a few clouds in the sky, and a light breeze coming in from the sea. The temperature is ever so slightly above 70 degrees. As before, Cherry Hill has a number of single family homes, mostly with stucco siding, may having odd colorations like permutations of pink, yellow, or blue siding. There is also a row of houses one level further up the hill. Silver can see flags flying in the breeze from flag poles, the flags having a pattern of stripes, horseshoes, and horns and wings.
There are already many cars on the road with traffic moving slow. The cars are moving to the right, towards the entrance of the bay. Several ponies are simply walking alongside the road or walking along a path up the hill, or flying through the air.
Cars look different from what Silver remembers. Certainly there are many more of them, and they have greater numbers of curves, and many more colors - red, yellow, blue, green, and all of the colors of the rainbow, rather than black dominating.
Silver can see that the area beneath the house has been walled in, with a portion (only a portion) serving as a garage.
Silver may go there either directly from the living room, or by going outside.
>>162639Roll die
>>162640Wow, and here he thought cars were amazing already. It looks like also that the neighborhood has advanced quite a lot in the years since. Having realized now that there is a garage, he goes for it from the outside.
>>162643There are actually two vehicles, believe it or not. One smaller vehicle with two doors, in a green color and greater curves, and a larger four door vehicle that is taller, yellow, and seems to be a luxury model.
>>162642Breathing a sigh of relief, Amber gets into the carriage and shuts the door behind her. Surely she knows where she, Erich and Helder had put their luggage earlier?
>>162644Now
that is fancy. It's clear they made it. The luxury car is probably a better call, with more room for everypony. He goes and helps his foals with getting their bags in the trunk and getting them strapped into the back seats.
>>162646Pear quickly tosses her bag in the back, and then Daffodil.
>>162647Once everypony's ready, their bags are in the car, and they're all strapped in, Silver sets off and gets the car joining the traffic out of the city.
>>162648But Silver does not get this far before a sporty green convertible pulls up at the end of the driveway, with several pegasi riding in it. And Silver knows who it is. For in the passenger seat, with a foreleg on the edge of door, is a pony Silver knows from long ago:
Spectral Streak
>>162649Silver looks at the car for just a second before he recognizes the pony in the passenger seat. His eyes go wide and his mouth opens in stunned silence. He gets out of the car, never taking his eyes off the light grey pegasus.
"...s...s-son?"
>>162651It's.... well, it's in the luggage car.
>>162652He looks over to Silver and the car pulls over into the front yard of the beach house, off the roadway. A green Pegasus in the passenger seat jumps out, and goes to something in the back. Spectral Streak looks back towards Silver, not saying anything for at least a few seconds.
>>162653Silver slowly trots closer to the car, and the son in the passenger seat.
"Spec...I thought I lost you..."
>>162653Why do these bags have to look so similar? Amber keeps looking, intent on not giving up this precious cargo again.
>>162654He squints his right eye and pulls back his right lip, and then turns to the green pegasus and a foal she carries, as well as one next to her.
"Take car. See you there."
He turns to SIlver
"And you'll lose the whole city if you don't get in the car."
>>162655Roll again. Wisdom modifier
>>162656Silver looks confused at him.
"Wha...what? What do you mean?"
>>162657He looks older than Silver recalls, but still very fit in middle age. He is wearing something like a uniform in part, and something over the uniform.
"You must not have heard the warning. Changeling infiltrators. Some of them were identified before hoof and an effort was to stamp them out. But for every cockroach you do see.... We have to find the rest, and kill them before they can do real damage. They'll be spooked now and on the attack. That makes them dangerous, but more importantly it makes them possible to find. Get in the car. We're going exterminating."
>>162658Amber stumps her paw on what seems to be the viol casing.
>>162659Eagerly, almost feverishly Amber picks up the viol case and clutches it to herself. Now for the rest of the luggage, which should be next to it.
>>162659This is the first time he's seen his son in so long...and he's inviting him to go changeling hunting. Silver is a little confused, to say the least.
"Spec...I would love to, but I got remarried, I had more foals. I cannot just leave them alone in this crisis."
>>162660It takes a moment to identify what is what, but Amber sees it - all of the relevant luggage
>>162662If Amber had trouble carrying all her luggage earlier, it would be impossible now with her companions' luggage as well. What did Erich and Helder prize most?
>>162663Helder and Erich both had books with them.There is a concern now about clothes.
>>162664There is no way Amber is going to carry three suitcases of clothing out. She grabs one suitcase to share amongst them, plus the books and musical instruments.
>>162665Not everything can fit in it.
>>162666Amber will have to make a difficult decision. She empties out one of the suitcases, puts on a change of clothing–hopefully a simple outfit, leaves a change of clothing of clothing each for her friends and fills it the rest of the way with the books.
>>162667It is so.
It has to be the biggest bag, and it's pretty heavy with all of the books
>>162654Okay, I am not pleased with the dialogue, so I am redoing these last few posts
Streak looks back at Silver, tilting his head
"No, I'm right here."
>>162668Silver stares at his son as he continues to trot closer slowly. The way he said that...this must not be the first time Spec has seen him since the War. If this is the future...does this mean he'll see his son again? Tears appear in his eyes from the prospect, which he wipes away with a foreleg.
"W-what are you doing here, my son?"
>>162669He looks at Silver with a blank look for a moment. But only a moment.
"Can Stratus Freeze use your wife's car? Look - Listen - I've been volunteering with the Home Guard and they've issued a call to clamp down on cells. Last night there were mass arrests to try and gather up as many known infiltrators as possible. According to what I heard on the radio, one of the changelings they went after sent an alert which activated a cell in the new housing projects, where the ghetto was over in the eastside. And of course that's just what they know about. There's a fear these cells have smuggled in weapons. Bombs and other things. They'll come out in the open now that the war is declared, and try to return the punch as best they can. So the Homeguard is being mobilized-"
>>162670Silver's eyes widen.
"Oh...that it not good. I already knew there were changelings in city, but if they are activating..."
>>162671He moves a little closer to Silver
"Exactly what they have isn't known... but what they can do... Observation planes in the north have detected weapons tests on fringe islands and in the polar lands. Mass area of effect weapons that can incinerate vast areas. And the tales of Changelings using Tabun and Sarin gas against pony resistance is well known, as are the rumors of lacing food with anthrax. The Pony Populist Party would not spook the population unless they thought there was a real threat."
>>162672"But my family...my new family...I cannot just leave them alone and unprotected like this, not if there are Infiltrators with weapons of mass destruction."
>>162673He scrunches for a moment, but then recovers
"Yeah, I know. So do I. Not a
new family, but a- a family. And that's exactly why I need to - why
we need to go out, find these infiltrators, and kill them. These infiltrators might possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. And we need to get to them first if our families are ever going to be safe."
He lingers
"All of Baltimare is counting on us. You've fought so many battles before. So have I. Don't let everything you've fought so hard for end here, today. Fight this one last battle. One last enemy to be conquered."
>>162674Silver looks sadly at his son, who has faced him with this tough decision. He goes back to his car, to the seat where his wife is sitting, and opens the door to take her hooves in his.
"Pear...what do I choose? What decision should I make?"
>>162675She turns to him as he takes her hooves, and looks at him with big eyes. Her ears are up, and she is clearly surprised.
>>162676"Please, love...I need your advice, your guidance."
>>162678Oh...right. Silver should probably fill her in on the situation. Which, he does so now.
>>162679She looks horrified
"What decision is there to make? Go out there and stop them. Stop them now."
>>162680He gives his wife a brief kiss goodbye.
"Keep them safe. I will come back for you."
The unicorn then turns to his foals.
"I need to go stop bad changelings. Be good for your mother, I will be back soon."
>>162681She gives a weak, toothy smile
"I'll see you..."
The foals ask
"Where are we going?"
Pear tells them
"We're going up to the north for the week."
"Will daddy be coming with us?"
"No, it'll be just us for now."
The foals look at Silver:
Birch:
"Will you still make Stroganov for us tonight?"
>>162682If he can reach her, Silver gives Birch many pets.
"When I come back, I will make biggest batch of stroganoff you have ever seen, my little pony."
>>162683Birch is pet many timesShe closes her eyes, and smiles contentedly.
Pear clearly looks concerned, with her ears half down.
>>162684"I love you all. Stay safe, I will be back with you before you know it."
If there's any of Silver's weapons and equipment he needs to gather from the car, he does so now, and goes to join Spec.
>>162685Pear laughs nervously, then closes her mouth, and waves to Silver
"See you"
There are no weapons in Silver's car, which is left for Pear.
Spec is waiting for him.
>>162686Silver nods to him, a stern determination on his face.
"I need weapon."
>>162687"Get it all out of the trunk, and get in the passenger seat" He says to Silver, equally stern.
>>162688Silver nods again, and goes to the truck to grab his equipment.
>>162668Not an ideal situation, at all, and Amber hopes the trio can take turns carrying the bag as they skedaddle. Not tarrying any longer, she seeks to return back to the middle of the tracks and go to the other train's platform, hopefully appearing as an arriving passenger.
>>162689Err, it should say "trunk", not "truck".
>>162689Silver opens the trunk to see many items of importance
The first Silver can recognize as a radio. This item is curious in its own right, as it is smaller than he recalls these being. The second is a steel helmet. It's full sized, designed for maximum protection from shrapnel. Next is a pair of green vests that Silver can identify as flak vests, using nylon fiber to protect from shrapnel. Silver also sees a pair of gas masks with goggles.
But it's the item in the center that deviates perhaps the most from what Silver is familiar with. Silver can see that the black, long object, is clearly a rifle. And yet it looks a bit more like the ray guns used by space mares in the science fiction pulp comics of recent years, than it does the elegant walnut clad tools that Silver last carried.
The most obvious feature of the rifle is that the action is located behind the trigger, with the handle and the trigger near the center of the rifle, and a curved magazine extending out behind it that is mid-length between the magazine of the old bolt action rifles, and the long thin boxes of submachine guns. The stock of the rifle is straight behind the action. It is thin, short, and made of steel with a simple butt. There are no iron sights. Instead, there is a handle just behind the center of the rifle with a cone-shaped optical sight. The forearm of the rifle is still wood, with a grooved cylinder for grip. The steel of the gun is coated back, and Silver can see a fire selector switch.
>>162694Amber exits through the rear door, out the side (it’s inelegant, carrying some much luggage but needing to jump down to the rail tracks, and then back up onto the platform).
A griffin seems to have taken notice.
>>162695That is not good, but what can be done except carrying on as usual, except with some added haste?
>>162696Well, Amber is on the other platform....
>>162697Does Amber know where the others are? She also realizes she forgot clothes for Federkleid, but there's no time to worry about that now.
>>162692Silver is damn near mesmerized by this mystery gun. If he was shocked at how the city has developed, and how the cars look sleeker and more colorful, then it's nothing compared to this tool of war. He's not even sure if it fires bullets anymore. With the practiced movements of an experienced soldier he puts on the flak vest and helmet and takes the small radio (
"Does it even work if it is that small?") and gas mask. The last item he takes is the rifle, and as he gets in the car he can't help but inspect it closer, feel its weight in his magic, and inspect the intermediate-sized magazine and fire selector.
>>162698Outside, or rather, across the street.
>>162699The fire selector is a button that can be pressed in on either side of the rifle. These are "R" and "A".
The magazine is curved, can fit... 20 rounds? And the top of the action is fitted with a charger guide to allow it to be reloaded with stripper clips. The charging handle of the gun is above the forearm, and before the optic.
>>162700"R" and "A"? What do these mean? Silver lets out, addressed to no one in particular, "What kind of strange rifle is this...?"
>>162700At least they're not far, and Amber won't be alone. She hurries to them.
>>162701Spec is driving now, opposite to the main flow of traffic. While the lane leading out of the city and down the penisula is thick with cars, the other lane is clear. To be sure, cars sometimes drive in the other lane, and Spec drives off the road more than once, though the sides of the road are often filled with pedestrians walking away from the city. The sirens continue blaring.
Spec, however, hears Silver
"Oh, you haven't seen the new battle rifle? That's a Lavender Machine 2, Caliber .277, Model Year 1020. Or an M20. The 'Jenny'. 'R' is repetition, or single shot. 'A' is full auto."
Looking down at the rifle, Silver can almost hear the trumpets dancing around as he holds it
>>162702Amber is being followed.
>>162703Not good, and the whole group wouldn't be able to evade effectively. Amber steers away from the party and, after a short while, ducks into an alley.
>>1627031020. Silver has a bit of an idea of the future time period he's in. He hopes Spec is paying attention and isn't running over anypony trying to flee the city.
"'Jenny'. Full auto, intermediate cartridge, twenty round magazine...it is amazing how far firearms have advanced from Lavender Rifles we used in War just few years ago."
>>162704Another roll, dexterity modifier
>>162705Spec is doing well enough, maneuvering past pedestrians and automobiles. Silver can see there are a few more schools here, and many more single family houses. The amusement park on the pier is still very much there, and with a new rollercoaster. Bird move in the sky.
"If, anything the Lavender was out of date decades ago. They just delayed replacing them for cost reasons. I would recommend keeping it on single fire. It's got quite a kick."
>>162707Amber delicately moves into a flock of griffins leaving the station, moves off the to side as a train horn provides a distraction, and slips away into the alley.
>>162706Silver nods, and sets it to R. If it wasn't for the threat of WMDs smuggled in by changelings, he would like to see this future come about.
"Not as if that stopped you from becoming most lethal sniper in all of Equestria's armed forces, Spectral Streak. 'White Death'. I remember how number of soldiers I trained in boot camp asked about you."
>>162708What is this roller coaster of luck? Amber has managed to escape her pursuer. Now, to get back to her friends….
She'll go to the other side of the alley and see what's there, hopeful making a wide circle is possible.
>>162709Spec's right eye turns towards Silver, and he smiles
"Heh"
It's the first time Silver has seen him smile in... a
very long time. He does not say anything.
>>162710It's Felderklied who comes out first, followed by Erich, and then finally Helder.
Felderklied:
"Did you get it?"
>>162711Nodding, Amber says, "Yes, all the books are here, and a few clothes. And I have my instruments."
>>162711That smile...it brings him back to a time when both he and Spec were much younger, and less scared by what they have lived through. He can't help but share in this smile, even if its for only for the moment.
>>162711>>162713"So, this 'Project Heaven's Fall' or what have you...it is what White Light was working on, yes? Before Equestria fell?"
>>162714"Huh?" He turns his head to Silver, confused.
"Oh, before the West was lost? No. I don't think so at least."
>>162720"I hope it is not...ability to wipe out entire cities, just like that...no one should have that power. Especially not Changelings..."
>>162721"No, not the Changelings, Just the First Council and the Pony Populist Party. What the Changelings have is something else."
>>162723"I have heard, or at least know basics. Some kind of mass-incindiary weapon."